Home & Garden

Arlington remodeler Michael Sauri, founder and president of TriVistaUSA, won two "Grand" first place awards for remodeling projects at the Capital CotY (Contractor of the Year) Awards presented on January 23, 2012, by the Metro DC Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. Sauri won the two Grand CotY awards in the categories of Commercial interior and Residential Basement Interior.

Sauri also won a Merit award in the category of Creative Solutions under $15,000 and a Finalist award in the category of Residential Addition $100 to $250,000.

Washington, DC (December 1, 2011)—The all new Washington Home & Garden Show is extremely pleased to announce that Ty Pennington, the iconic host of ABC’sExtreme Makeover: Home Edition will headline the March 9-11 Show at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in downtown DC.

“We are incredibly excited to have one of the most recognized personalities in home improvement join us for our new and improved Washington Home & Garden Show,” said Alyson Caplan, Show Manager. “Ty has supported Marketplace Events for four years and he is finally able to come to DC to offer his home design expertise to residents in the nation’s capital.”

fred, www.schedulefred.com, employees give away 250 ice cream confections at the Potomac Day business fair and parade on Saturday

A group of employees from fred, a home repair service, participated in the Potomac Day events in Potomac, Maryland on Saturday, October 22, 2011. An ice cream truck wrapped in fred banners that said, "Follow fred - the first name in home repairs - to get your FREE ICE CREAM" followed the fred employees in the parade. The ice cream truck parked close to the fred booth at the business fair and the fred employees gave away 250 free ice cream confections to the people in the community.

Celebrating its 10th Anniversary, Aidan Design Gives Back to the Community on Friday, Dances on Saturday

by Sherry Moeller

With the 10th anniversary of Aidan Designthis month, its owners Nadia Subaran and John Schmiedigen wanted to do something special for the community that has supported them the last decade. Aidan Design, a custom kitchen firm in Bethesda, Md., decided to donate a Day of Service by designing and installing a kitchenette, handwashing station and art center at Martha's Table, a Northwest DC charitable organization that provides food and education to the area's homeless.

Gary Gaal, winner of the Extreme Exterior Makeover from Case Design/Remodeling and Ply Gem, continues to inspire with his community service.

A recurring question during the exterior makeover of Gary Gaal's home was: "How does someone volunteer so many hours?" For Gaal, it's easy. "I see people on the worst day of their lives and try to make it better." Gaal works every hurricane, flood and snowstorm and manages the scene at auto accidents and any other disaster that may occur. He is dedicated to helping others and is extremely proud of becoming a Fire Unit Officer which puts him in charge as an Fire Engine OIC and in command of the fire ground as a first arriving engine officer. One example: when an 11-year-old boy was thrown 30 feet off his bike after being struck by a car, Gaal was the first to arrive, controlled the scene and administered life saving techniques until the medics arrived. The victim survived.